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« on: Thursday 14 February 13 00:29 GMT (UK) »
I wish to thank my fellow Rootschatters who have always been here to answer/pose questions and generously help out. Your help has led to a breakthrough after 20 years of searching my Wareham (Waram, Wharam) family.
I was stuck with my earliest confirmed ancestor, William W#, grocer of Esher (SRY), who was born somewhere sometime about 1764. There were many Warehams in the London area & many called William but none matched up. And there was a preponderance of Warehams in the Dorset area. He has many descendants scattered all over. The main & unlikely family story passed down is that we were related to Archbishop Warham, the Archbishop of Canterbury when Henry 8th was a child. Hardly, as he was Catholic and supposedly celibate.
Then with help from Rootschatters I followed up some clues mainly using wills especially of the unmarried who often mention many names of relatives. Thankfully I came across an "Uncle William Belk" mentioned in two wills linked to William of Esher. Thus after searching using lots of wild cards for the spelling of Belk, I found William of Esher was born in Tickhill, Yorkshire to John Waram and Ann Belk. Thank you, Rootschatters! Gazania